Daejeon Expands K-Pass Reimbursements Temporarily Through September

Up to 83.3% Reduction in Transportation Costs Amid High Oil Prices

Daejeon City will temporarily expand the K-Pass reimbursement benefits from April to September to alleviate the burden of transportation costs during the era of high fuel prices.

This measure expands benefits by ▲raising the reimbursement rate for proportional-type users during commuting off-peak hours and ▲lowering the threshold amount for the flat-rate “Everyone’s Card.”

The K-Pass applies reimbursement when a user takes public transportation 15 times or more per month anywhere nationwide. Users do not need to select a reimbursement method themselves; the system automatically applies the greater amount between the proportional reimbursement and the excess amount above the threshold for the flat-rate “Everyone’s Card.” For 2026, a total project budget of 22.1 billion won has been allocated, with 50% from the national government and 50% from the city.

Under the temporary expansion, the proportional-type reimbursement rate during commuting off-peak hours will be uniformly raised by 30 percentage points, resulting in ▲50% for the general public ▲60% for youth, households with two children, and seniors ▲80% for households with three or more children ▲83.3% for low-income households. The off-peak hours are from 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

For the flat-rate “Everyone’s Card,” starting in 2026, the entire amount exceeding the monthly threshold will be reimbursed. During the temporary expansion period, the threshold amount for reimbursement has been reduced by 50% compared to the previous standard.

The threshold amounts have been adjusted as follows: ▲from 55,000 won to 27,000 won for the general public ▲from 50,000 won to 23,000 won for youth, households with two children, and seniors ▲from 40,000 won to 20,000 won for households with three or more children and low-income households.

As of March 2026, there are approximately 112,900 K-Pass users in Daejeon City, an increase of about 11,400 compared to the previous year. The average monthly number of eligible beneficiaries is around 57,000. Based on data from January to February 2026, users saved an average of 16,166 won in monthly transportation costs, a reduction of about 24.5% compared to the average monthly use of 66,000 won.

Nam Sideok, Director of Daejeon City’s Department of Transportation, stated, “Expanding K-Pass reimbursements will reduce the transportation cost burden for citizens during times of high fuel prices and further promote public transportation use as tram construction ramps up. We will continue to pursue transportation welfare policies so that more citizens can feel the positive impact.”

The detailed criteria and reimbursement methods for the expanded public transportation reimbursement support program can be found through the K-Pass app and website.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.